Muhammad Umer

Muhammad Umer
TI FIFAOM

Umer during his playing days
Personal information
Full name	Muhammad Umer Baloch
Date of birth	1935
Place of birth	Lyari, Karachi, British India
Date of death	21 March 2004 (aged 69)
Place of death	Karachi, Pakistan
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1948	Qadri Sports
1950	Haroon Sons
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1953	KMC
1954	Friends Union
1955	Karachi Kickers
1956	Kemari Mohammedan
1956–1960	Kolkata Mohammedan
1961–1965	Victoria SC
1966	Dhaka Wanderers
1967–1968	KMC
1969–1970	Dilkusha SC
International career
1956–1968	Pakistan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Muhammad Umer Baloch TI FIFAOM (Urdu: محمد عمر بلوچ; 1935 – 21 March 2004), alternatively spelled Mohammad Omer, was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a striker. Renowned for his goal-scoring abilities, prolific finishing, and hat-tricks, he is widely considered as one of the greatest Pakistani footballers of all time.^[1][2][3]

Starting his career in clubs in Karachi, Umer later represented Kolkata Mohammedan in the late 1950s. In his first year, he became the Calcutta League's top scorer, while also guiding Mohammedan to the title, also captaining the side to win the 1960 Aga Khan Gold Cup. He continued his professional career in various clubs in East Pakistan, winning various titles across his spells.

Umer represented the Pakistan national football team from 1956 to 1968, and was the country's 13th international captain. He also represented Pakistan at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games. Under his captaincy, he helped the side finish runner-ups at the 1962 Merdeka Tournament.

In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Umer was honored with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 1989.^[4][1] In 2004, a few months after his death he was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit, the highest honour awarded by FIFA.^[5]

Early career

Umer was born in Gul Muhammad Lane, in the Lyari locality of Karachi in 1935. He belonged to the Makrani Baloch community (also known as Sheedi) of African descent.^[6] Initially rising through the ranks from school football,^[7][8] Umer began his career in 1948, aged 13, as a goalkeeper for Karachi-based Qadri Sports.^[9] However, his attacking ability soon saw him convert into a centre-forward, eventually earning the nickname "Black Horse".^[1]

Club career

Early career

In 1950, Umer debuted for Haroon Sons in Karachi's Abu Bakr Tournament against Quetta. He also represented the Karachi Municipal Corporation football team. In 1954, he toured southern India with Friends Union.^[9] During the tour, Umer's team became runners-up in the All-India Chakola Trophy, earning him a spot on Karachi's team for the National Football Championship in 1955 held in Bahawalpur.^[1]

Karachi Kickers

Umer (second sitting from left) with Karachi Kickers during a final in a tournament in Travancore–Cochin state, South India in 1955

His success in the National Football Championship with Karachi led him to join Karachi Kickers, winning several regional and invitational tournaments. In the same year, he again toured India, earning acclaim for scoring six goals in a game in Ernakulam and achieving a hat-trick in Mysore, as reported by local Indian newspapers.

Kemari Mohammedan

Umer represented East Pakistan in the National Football Championship in 1956, and in the same year, went on his third Indian tour with Kemari Mohammedan, finishing runners-up to Hyderabad Police. During the tournament, he also scored eight goals in a single game against Maharashtra FC, earning praise and sparking interest from Indian clubs.^[2]

Kolkata Mohammedan

Nikhil Nandy (L) tackling Umer during a 1956 Calcutta League match between Mohammedan SC & Eastern Railway

In 1956, Umer joined Calcutta League club Kolkata Mohammedan in India.^[9] In 1967 he became the league's top scorer, while also guiding Mohammedan to the title.^[10]

Umer meeting with Rajendra Prasad

In 1960, Mohammedan captained by Umer, won the Aga Khan Gold Cup held in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), where they defeated Indonesian club PSM Makassar 4–1, with Umer scoring twice.^[11]

Umer enjoyed star status during his stay in India, and featured in several magazine headlines and advertisements of companies in the country media.^[12] He was admired by then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar, who reportedly insisted Umer to stay in India, although in the end he left Mohammedan in the early 1960s and returned to Pakistan.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Victoria SC

Tunku Abdul Rahman distributing the 1962 Aga Khan Gold Cup trophy to Victoria SC captain Muhammad Umer

In 1961, Umer returned to Pakistan joining East Pakistan-based Victoria Sporting Club. Umer led Victoria to both the Dhaka League and the Aga Khan Gold Cup title in 1962 as coach-cum-captain.^[17] He scored twice as Victoria triumphed 5–1 over Young Taegeuk FA in the Aga Khan Gold Cup final.^[18] Umer also won the National Championship with Dacca Division in both the 1961/62 and 1962 seasons, captaining the team in the latter.^[19][20]

Dhaka Wanderers

Umer standing third from right with 1963 Aga Khan Gold Cup runners-up Dhaka Wanderers

In 1963, Dhaka Wanderers formed a strong team to participate in the Aga Khan Gold Cup, acquiring Umer along with national teammates Ghulam Abbas Baloch, Abdul Ghafoor, Abdullah Rahi, Yusuf Jr., and Yusuf Sr. from defending champions Victoria, who had withdrawn from the tournament. After defeating Police AC, Nepal XI, Pakistan Western Railway and Indonesia XI in the semi-final, the club eventually lost 1–2 to Pakistan Railways, with Umer being the only scorer in the final. He eventually joined the club on a permanent deal in 1966.^[21]

International career

Umer first toured with the Pakistan national team to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and China in 1956.^[9] He later represented Pakistan at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games. Additionally, he participated in the 1959 tour to Burma and the 1960 Merdeka Cup.^[9] In the 1960 semi-final, Pakistan lost to hosts Malaysia but reached the final in the 1962 edition under Umer's captaincy, ultimately losing to Indonesia. Umer also showcased his skills in an unofficial friendly against Sweden in 1957.^[1]

Pakistan national team at the 1960 Merdeka Tournament. Umer sitting in the middle

During the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Umer scored a hat-trick against Iran in a 4–1 victory. He also managed to score during a 2–2 draw with Israel.^[22] The qualifying tournament held in Kochi, India, also saw Pakistan earn a notable victory over India, nonetheless, failed to qualify for the main stage, finishing third out of four teams.^[23]

Umer standing fourth from left with Pakistan in 1966

Umer also captained Pakistan during China's football tour in Pakistan in 1963.^[23] The first test in Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) ended in a 0–0 tie.^[24] The second match in Peshawar ended in a 3–2 victory for Umer's side,^[24] with the third fixture in Lahore ending in another 1–1 draw.^[24] The final fourth match in Karachi ended in a 2–0 defeat for Pakistan.^[24][23] In 1965, he also captained the national team in a tour to Ceylon, scoring a goal in a 1–3 defeat against the Ceylon XI team.^[3]

Post-playing career

Following his retirement from playing, Umer continued his involvement in football as a coach. From 1971 to 1974, he served on Sindh's football selection committee while also coaching the Karachi Municipal Corporation from 1971 to 1985, and later the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board team.^[9] In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Umer was honored with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 1989.^[4][1]

Death

Umer, who spent most his final decades in abject poverty, died on 21 March 2004.^[1] A few months later, FIFA reportedly decided to award Umer with the FIFA Order of Merit in recognition of his contributions to football. The award was to be presented to his family by Pakistan Football Federation president Faisal Saleh Hayat.^[5]

Career statistics

International goals

Note: Exact figures of Pakistani players before 1989 are not yet known and yet to be researched. Below are goals recorded.

List of international goals scored by Muhammad Umer

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	17 May 1958	Jalan Besar Stadium, Kallang, Singapore	Singapore	1–0	4–4	Friendly	[25][26]
2				3–3			[25][26]
3				4–3			[25][26]
4	9 December 1959	Maharaja's College Stadium, Kochi, India	Iran		4–1	1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification	[27]
5							[27]
6							[27]
7	17 December 1959	Maharaja's College Stadium, Kochi, India	Israel	1–0	2–2	1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification	[22]
8	5 August 1960	Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lampur, Federation of Malaya	Thailand	2–0	7–0	1960 Merdeka Tournament	[28][29]
9				3–0			[28][29]
10	30 January 1963	Peshawar, Pakistan	China		3–2	Friendly	[30]

Honours

Kolkata Mohammedan

• Calcutta League: 1957
• IFA Shield: 1957
• Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1960

Victoria SC

• Dhaka League: 1962, 1964
• Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1962

Dacca Division

• National Football Championship: 1961–62, 1962

Pakistan

• Merdeka Tournament runner-up: 1962

Individual

• 1957 − Calcutta League top scorer
• 1989 − Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
• 2004 − FIFA Order of Merit

See also

• List of Pakistan national football team captains
• List of Pakistan national football team hat-tricks

References

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6. Ahmed, Feroz (10 January 1989). "Africa on the Coast of Pakistan Africa on the Coast of Pakistan". New Directions. 16 (4): 6. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. The people of Lyari, especially those of African origin, have all but monopolized the sport of soccer in Pakistan. All the major soccer teams in the Indian subcontinent had players from Lyari, and the winners of prestigious cups were usually Black. Muhammad Umer was one such idolized professional player in the 1950s and 1960s. He earned an international reputation while representing Pakistan 13 times, including five years as captain of the team...
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21. Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
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